The School of Travelling Trainers: Heroes of Unova
by Reikami
Summary: Rai does not know or comprehend just what role she plays in the world's survival. Travelling with a caravan school and balancing life with destiny, she and her friends must discover the lives they were meant to lead. OC's accepted.
1. Prologue

**For clarification: all happenings in the pokemon games NEVER HAPPENED! EVER! This is a story based completely as if Ash, Misty, N—the whole crew of forever—never existed. Ever. This is a new story, with new people, and a clean slate. It begins in the Unova region, and I kinda mix in festivals from other regions to fit the story. But because it is my story, I have no guilt. Pokemon is owned by its respective owners and I have no claim to it, but I own my own OC's and give credit to those that submitted their OC's for the story. I hope you enjoy :3**

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><p>The Unova region—a region of unity—was once created by the supreme and god-like pokemon Arceus, the same as all the regions forged from his will and carried out through his spiritual vassals, known as the legendary pokemon. It is there that he rested and took his seat of power to watch over the world, his throne on Victory Mountain, once known as Pius Moenia. Ruling justly and with honor, the people of Unova erected a shrine in Arceus's honor in the center of their land, naming it the Resonance Shrine. On the water it sat, made of marble and stone. In this shrine the people came to pay their respects to Arceus, as traversing through the caves up the mountain was perilous and forbidden.<p>

Against their practices, twin humans braved the tunnels and challenges riddling the caves one day, pairing up with the wild pokemon to aid them. Impressed by the teamwork shown by the humans and the pokemon, Arceus heard them out. The twins wished to aid the world and pokemon; they wanted to become heroes. Arceus judged them there, and hailed them as they wished to form the pact. Giving up their mortality, the twins set out with their new powers over pokemon to right the wrongs of the world.

But it all came at a price.

As the twins travelled the world, they saw more and more of the corruption of humanity, as well as its kindness. Each twin took a side—the truth of reality, and the ideals of what could be—and argued on how the world should be dealt with. Connected to the twin heroes by the pact, Arceus felt their hearts grow cold to one another, and so he grew cold within. He sensed the oncoming consequences of what would soon happen, and with an explosion of power that leveled the top of the mountain to a plateau, Arceus split himself in two—truth and ideals—and sent the remainder of his energy to be contained within the Resonance Shrine. He sealed the doors and sank the temple far beneath the water's surface, setting guardians to watch over the Lake of Tears until the heroes returned and unified once more.

Chaos erupted regardless.

The energy of truth caused fire to explode from the earth, while the power of ideals sent lightning to cascade from the sky. Ash blocked out the sun, and the land burned. In the midst of this, four pokemon took the stand to protect what had once been the twin heroes' charges. Cobalion of the Iron Will led the pokemon through the pandemonium and fire; Virizion of the Grasslands protected them from the dangers that plagued them; Terrakion of the Caverns cleared their way; Volcorona of the Sun provided warmth and light for the dark sky.

And the humans? They became despised. Even the pokemon of truth and ideals began to see that their counterparts no longer cared for their purpose, and so forsook them, disappearing into the stars. Left without anything, abandoned as they had abandoned and destroyed their home, the twins returned to plead guilty to Arceus on Pius Moenia, only to find Arceus gone. And still, they could not reconcile their differences; they could only agree that they had deep regret.

Centuries passed, and the scars of the land healed. The other regions—not left untouched by the phenomenon—forgot the heroes nonetheless. Even Unova, so buried in its history, left behind the Tale of the Twin Heroes to become as distant as the stars where the two pokemon dwelled. The four Guardian Pokemon went deep into hiding, never letting their resentment lessen for humanity which had almost destroyed the world. But the rest of the pokemon? Their lives went on as finitely as humans.

An age of peace had dawned.

But in truth, beneath the surface of the world, what peace can come from an anger left to boil for thousands of years?

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><p><strong>OC Form<strong>

Name: (First and last)

Gender:

Age: (16-18 is a free ride in the school, but under or over requires a payment/permission from the staff)

Personality:

Clothes/Looks:

Occupation: (Trainer, breeder, coordinator, etc.)

View on the 'School':

Pokemon: (State the starter, personalities, names if they have them, and how they were caught)

Family: (You can request to be related to any current OC's if it strikes your fancy, but I guarantee nothing)

Wanted Role:


	2. Character List

**Here's the Master List of the characters with very short descriptions. I will update/add characters as the story progresses, but I will not add more information than I deem necessary. All of these characters belong to their respective owners, and I shall call the cops if I find out any of them have been used without my or their permission :/ I have my ways .**

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><p><span>Rai Saotoshi<span>

16, first year student, first year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Oberon the Umbreon, male (got as an Eevee from brother)

Ren Saotoshi's younger sister

5'8"

Ren Saotoshi

24, Professor of Nuvema Town

STT Alumni

Starter Pokemon: Archeops, male (got as an Archen)

Rai Saotoshi's older brother

6'3"

Alaina Storm

17, second year student, first year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Strawberry the Vulpix, female (rescued)

Rosalie Evan's cousin

5'3"

Alex Cesarini

18, third year student, first year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Blaze the Infernape, male (got as a Chimchar from Professor of Sinnoh region)

5'10"

Aubrey Skies

13, first year student, first year travelling with the STT

On scholarship from the Hoenn League Conference (reason=spoiler)

Starter Pokemon: Swampert, female (got as a Mudkip Professor of Hoenn region)

5'2.5"

Hiro Taminama

18, third year student, first year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Jolteon, male (got as an Eevee from Professor of Kanto region)

6'

Joe Brotenhimen

18, third year student, third year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Torterra, male (got as a Turtwig from Professor of Sinnoh region)

6'1"

Ken Strife

17, second year, first year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Pikachu, male (rescued)

6'2"

Maria Rochenko

23, STT first through second year academic teacher

Starter Pokemon: Gloom, female (got as an Oddish as a birthday gift)

5'11"

Mark Pearl

18, third year student, first year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Sarah the Empoleon, female (got as a Piplup from Professor of Sinnoh region)

6'

Matt Kamina

16, first year student, first year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Leo the Luxray, male (got as a Shinx from father)

6'

Oswald Hemmington

47, STT third year academic teacher and gym teacher

Starter Pokemon: Saber the Empoleon, male (got as a Piplup)

6'5"

Reiji Asakura

16, first year student, first year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Chikorita, female (got from Professor of Johto region)

5'10"

Rosalie Evans

17, second year student, first year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Frost the Froslass, female (got as a Snowrunt from father)

Alaina Storm's cousin

5'3"

Shane Kilazi

16, first year student, first year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Sandslash, male (got as a Sandshrew from father)

6'1"

Setsuna Aozaki

16, first year student, first year travelling with the STT

Starter Pokemon: Totodile, male (got from Professor of Johto region)

5'7"


	3. Child of Nuvema

**As a fair heads up, I will no longer be putting in main character OCs unless I dub them spectacular. And if your character has not been mentioned within the first chapter, be patient! I have some of them spread out :P This is mostly an introductory chapter, and more interesting things will happen in the following chapters .**

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><p>Not many people wonder where the future may take them or what the dawn will bring. Sounds very poetic, no? Well, at that moment, Rai was thinking that the alarm on her nightstand wasn't sounding even a quarter close to poetic or even charming. Turning over in a half-sleep, she slammed her open hand on top of the pokeball motif clock and brought it close to her eyes. Seconds ticked by.<p>

"… … WHAAAAAAAAAATTT!" she cried out suddenly, bolting up from bed and throwing off the blankets in one single movement. An Umbreon who had been peacefully sleeping at the foot of her bed jumped ten feet in the air and landed stiffly, eyes wide open in shock, as his trainer scrambled around, tripping over paraphernalia that littered the floor. In and out of the bathroom she went, holding a toothbrush out of the side of her mouth as she toweled off her face from being washed. Pulling on a pair of loose, tan cargo pants and nearly falling in the process, strands of waist-length brown hair peeked from underneath a white t-shirt, half in and half out. With one shoe on, Rai took the time to finger-comb and fluff the straight mess into a form of being presentable, deep brown eyes frantic with just how late she was as she stared into the mirror. Slipping on the last shoe, she did a quick turn-around and dubbed herself dressed…enough…as she then proceeded to stuff whatever was within arm's reach into a red duffel bag. All this time the Umbreon paced back and forth around a basket filled with blankets and three eggs, each a gift from Rai's older brother. "Shake a leg, Oberon; we're gonna be late! Ren!" she called down as she shouldered the duffel bag and picked up the basket, taking the steps down two at a time. "Why didn't you wake me up!"

"I did wake you up," a man's tired voice said as the man in question sipped coffee at the kitchen table. "You went back to sleep." Thin glasses rested on the bridge of his nose and sky blue hair rested in a slightly mussed up fashion. Without the glasses and a lab coat, Rai was convinced that her older brother would be a high school delinquent. But no; he was the Professor of Nuvema Town, complete with license and bragging rights. Looking up from his drink—a headache having been induced by the screaming, urging him to get another cup—Ren noticed how disheveled his sister looked and chuckled, placing the cup down and going to meet her. At six foot three, Ren was a tall man. And Rai? Dwarfed at five foot eight. Ren noticed the look of frustration reflected in his sister's eyes, the green crescents resting at the bottom darker than usual so that they almost blended completely into the brown. He noticed how she clutched the shoulder strap of her bag and panted as if she were already out of breath; how filled the bag was with clothes and travel supplies.

She was leaving.

Without another word, Ren took the basket of eggs and went over to the toaster where two pieces of slightly cooled toast were waiting for Rai. With much harrying from his sister they went out of the house and began a brisk walk through the small town, headed for the docks where a boat would be soon arriving, full of people and cargo. But most importantly, it would be carrying the School of Travelling Trainers. The school itself was unorthodox in the highest degree; students travelled all over Unova, studying their chosen path of pokemon while also taking the basic classes. It was completely free for students ages 16 through 18—first year through third year—and thereafter, if one still wished to study and travel, tuition could be paid. Founded by the Pokemon League Champion of Unova, Alder, it has been funded thusly for the past fifty years. In fact, it was Ren's alma mater, and the reason he was sending Rai to it. He was always quiet and aloof—even to her—but he cared, and wanted her to be safe. After the accident…

A horn sounded, loud and clear through the mid-morning air. The ship came into view, and since the time given during the walk, Rai had somehow managed to tame her hair into a ponytail and straighten herself up some more. Docking at the small port, the first things to come off the boat were three very large covered wagons, each pulled by two large Rapidash that pawed the metal gangplank with practiced ease as they deported. On the seat of the first cart was a large and burly man wearing a suit, however much it stretched and strained against his body. On the second cart was a woman, also in a suit, but slightly more…proper appearing. And on the third cart was another man who appeared far younger than the burly man, wearing a grey trench hat with a buckle across it low over his eyes, a pair of glasses resting on the loose rim and sandy blonde hair peeking out from under the hat. He wore forest green cargo pants and a white long-sleeve t-shirt that was maybe a few sizes too big for him, but he didn't seem to mind at all. Oberon at Rai's side stepped forward to sit obediently at her heel, watching with mild interest as the carts passed by. He might be just as stoic as Ren, Rai knew, but he couldn't always hide what he truly felt. Just behind the wagons came a small crowd of people young enough that Rai assumed them the students. They were just as varied in appearance as she expected, since some of them weren't even from the same region or hometown. The group and the wagons went off to the side, where Rai and Ren followed until there was a circle formed, the burly man taking the center.

"My name is Oswald Hemmington," he boomed, a grand smile appearing through the grey beard on his face, hands on his hips. "But you can call me Mr. H."

"And my name is Maria Rochenko. Maria's fine," came the friendly clip of the woman who had taken her place next to the man. Her black hair was tied into a neat bun, glasses similar to Ren's giving her a keen view of all of them. Looking to the side, Rai was slightly confused as to why Ren had suddenly turned more to the side, as if hiding his face. She didn't have much time to ponder more on it as the orientation began.

"Welcome to the School of Travelling Trainers!" Mr. H said. "We will do our best to bring you around the Unova region and guide you to your goals. Our aim here is to ensure your enjoyment of your school career and your safety, so please follow the few rules we have. One: For the next year, we are all family, and we expect you to treat each other like it. Two: Listening to the teachers is important, so if we tell you to do something, it's usually for your benefit."

"Three:" Maria intervened, "There are to be no boys in the Girls' Cart, and vice versa. The Supply Cart is open for all, but otherwise, suspension will be the consequence."

"Four: The curfew to be in the designated campgrounds while travelling is ten pm; any later will result in suspension. Five: Leaving the group without prior notification is prohibited. Remember, some of the areas we visit are not safe while alone!" Contrary to the severity to the statement, Mr. H laughed, as if he did not believe his own words and that the whole of Unova was a cake walk. In the midst of the group, a boy with semi-long, jet black hair and sunglasses propped up on his forehead snorted, looking as if he just wanted to get the show on the road. "A 'few rules' my ass," he mumbled. With a quirk of the eyebrow Rai left it alone, opting instead to say goodbye to Ren. She barely had the chance before Mr. H strolled over. "Professor Saotoshi, it's good to see you!" he said, clapping a hand with immense force on Ren's back. He tipped forward while letting out a forced breath of air, although he did not look upon Mr. H with hate or distaste as he would've normally done for anyone who pulled the same trick. 'Then again,' Rai thought, 'Mr. H looks old enough; he was probably Ren's teacher, too.' …Which she didn't mean offensively at all.

"Hello, Mr. Hemmington," Ren replied formally. "This is my younger sister Rai. She'll be attending this year."

"Really? Splendid! Let's have a look at her, shall we?" he laughed, turning to Rai. It seemed to her as if the man was perpetually jolly, which would've been fine with her, if he hadn't done the following: "I see you've already got your starter! Wonderful! I hope we have a wonderful year as well!" And then he promptly gave her the biggest Teddiursa-hug she'd ever gotten, squeezing Rai until she thought her rib cage would crack. From over Mr. H's shoulder she could see Ren shrug, as if to say 'Nothing I can do about it.' How assuring…

From across the circle, Maria heard the noise and came over confidently, a smile wide on her own face then, too. Mr. H was shepherding Rai towards the Girls' Cart so that she may put her bag and the egg basket—which Ren had handed back to her—inside and get comfortable, since they were to begin the journey straight away. Looking back, she was confused to see her normally calm and collected brother seeming a little out of sorts as Maria talked animatedly to him. She would definitely call him from a Pokemon Center and ask about that, she mused with a giggle.

Inside the cart, there were a total of six girls, including Rai. The bags were stuffed into compartments hanging near the tops of the canvass tenting, and there were some blankets—despite the mid-summer air—and two barrels also near the cab end of the cart. Climbing in while using the small platform step built near the wheel axle, Rai was almost immediately bombarded by a girl with strawberry blonde, wavy hair pulled back into a half ponytail with a red bow. Standing half-in and half-out of the cart, Rai had to hold the side of the wagon so as to not just fall over from the intensity of the greeting.

"Hiya!" she said, leaning on the cart gate while kneeling. She wore a white blouse with a red and black plaid tie loosely hanging about her neck, ocean blue eyes wide with excitement and sports sneakers tapping against the wood of the wagon—which, in retrospect, Rai found a little odd that she wore sneakers with a plaid miniskirt and thigh-high black stockings. At the same time, it only made sense, since their trip was a lot like camping, too.

"Stop bothering the poor girl," snapped another one of the girls, yanking the blonde one back by the hem of her shirt. The blonde girl let out a small 'yipe' and then looked back at the other girl who had tugged her back.

"Alaina! I was just getting to know her," she whined, pouting. The other girl, Alaina, had one knee up and the other spread out, black shorts coming down to just above the knees and black DC sneakers almost seeming too large for her. She wore a grey v-neck t-shirt and a jersey, but was similarly blonde to the other girl, if not a bit more tan. Other than the skin and eyes—Alaina's being emerald—the two could've been sisters; both thin, of middling height, and blonde. On closer inspection—Rai still leaning on the verge of entering or not—the first girl was actually curvier, and Rai had to wonder how she was comfortable in such a short skirt…

"You're 'getting' on my nerves," Alaina snapped back. She looked to Rai for a moment, seeming to evaluate her in a quick scan, before turning her head back to a maroon fuzz ball in her lap, which happened to be a Vulpix. Oberon's head popped up over the wagon gate, his hind legs resting on the edge, trying to see what all the commotion was about.

"Oh my Arceus! He's so CUTE!" the blonde hair girl said, immediately reaching over to grasp Oberon from under his arms and hold him out in front of her. Rai could tell that he was wide-eyed and uncomfortable, but that was only because he tried being such a cool guy. She laughed and finally got in the cart, sitting next to a girl with dark brown hair and an ice blue headband while settling her bag and the egg basket on the other side.

"Don't mind Rosalie; she greeted us all in the same way." Her voice was gentle, and she appeared every bit of the vision of the proper modern girl; knees bent demurely in a knee-length blue skirt, arms crossed in her laps with a blue t-shirt, and black shoes overlapping each other. Rai wondered just how she managed to look so proper in such ordinary clothes, more amazed than anything. "My name's Alex; Alex Cesarini, a third year. And you?" It was then that Rai realized she had failed to give her name.

"My name's Rai Saotoshi, first year" she said, smiling back into Alex's similarly brown eyes. In all honesty, if Alex's hair were a few shades lighter as well, she and Rai could've been sisters, too.

"I'm Rosalie Evans, second year!" piped up the blonde, followed by her pointing an accusatory finger at the other girl. "And this is my stuck-up cousin, also a second year, Alaina Storm."

"Who're you calling stuck-up?" Alaina growled, turning a glare icier than Alex's color of clothes to Rosalie. All she did was laugh and play with Oberon's ears, obviously used to the abuse by her cousin. Rai giggled at their antics a little herself, amused that two who seemed so opposite could be related.

"I'm Aubrey Skies, a first year," said a short girl who couldn't have possibly been 16 at all. Her own, darker blonde hair was cut so that most of it hung shorter in the front—still covering her left turquoise eye—and longer in the back, lighter highlights streaked through. She wore white Bermuda shorts and a baggy sky blue t-shirt, a white backpack clutched to her chest. Aubrey didn't look completely comfortable being there, but somehow Rai could understand. Thus, not wanting to pry and cause offense, Rai left it well enough alone and smiled in greeting instead. The last girl was apart from the small cluster of their group, typing away at a laptop with a blank expression, as if she was neither engaged nor bored, a slanted bob of black hair cut just at the chin. Dressed all in black—from the t-shirt to the cargo pants—a stark white pair of earphone cords trailed down to the computer, marking her as deaf to the world around her.

"Oh, that's Setsuna," said Rosalie, catching Rai's glance. "Don't bother asking her much of anything, you'll just get short responses, if any." It was apparent that Rosalie didn't think much of Setsuna, the way she brushed it off, but she didn't think poorly of her, either. It was just as if…the girl was there, and that was that.

"I meant to ask earlier, Rai," Alex said, breaking the mood, "your last name is Saotoshi; as in Professor Saotoshi?"

"He's my older brother."

"That must be fun."

"It is," Rai said with conviction. "I love taking care of the pokemon in the nursery."

"So those eggs aren't yours?"

"No, they are. They're gifts from Ren."

"Ren?" Rosalie asked with a slight wiggle of the eyebrows.

"Ren my older brother!" Rai exclaimed with a smile mixed with the 'ewww' face. "All three of them were abandoned and brought to us by researchers who didn't know what they were. Actually, that's not completely true. This one here's a Rufflet egg," she said, picking out an egg that was grey and navy blue.

"They're cute," said Rosalie, even as Oberon escaped from her clutches to hide in traumatized terror next to Rai. She laughed and pet his head in comfort.

"I assume you're going to be a breeder then?" continued Alex.

"Nah; I love battling too much. If I may, can I ask what you're going to be?"

"I've already done my part; I'm just along for the ride. This is actually my first year in the school; Mark and I just felt like going with it since it's our last year as free riders and we haven't seen the Unova region yet. We're both trainers, too."

"Mark?"

"He's travelling with us in the Boys' Cart. You'll see him later."

"But I think that's admirable, taking the time to go sight-seeing. But why not go yourselves?"

"Free ride, more education." Which sounded odd to the rest of the girls, who simultaneously thought 'Who would want MORE education…?' A whistle sounded from outside the cart, followed by Maria's voice asking if everyone was ready to go.

It was time. Ren came up to the back of the Girls' Cart, causing Rosalie to go 'Ooo,' teasingly, to Rai. For the next nine months, Rai would not see Ren, and she would not see Nuvema Town. But really, she was not sad. Ever passive, Ren did not give Rai a large hug or even a smile; merely ruffled her hair. The wagon jerked a little as it started, Maria having taken her place at the bench and snapped the reigns of the Rapidash. Oberon watched with Rai as Ren and their town faded slowly into the distance.

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><p>In the Boys' Cart, things were a tad more…tense…<p>

Six boys, likewise, sat in the cramped space with Mr. H driving, and each of them seemed very apprehensive to start a conversation. But for the sake of filling in the silence and introducing the students, let's examine them more closely.

In one corner, leaning on a pile of blankets with a Jolteon curled in them, was a boy with black hair styled into a fohawk reading a small, worn novel. In the compartment directly above him was a guitar case as black as his v-neck and skinny jeans, and olive skin almost made his brown right eye disappear into its tone. However, his left eye was a milky blue, although one barely noticed with all the bracelets he was wearing. With no exaggeration, the boy was wearing bracelets of every sort—rubber, beaded, friendship, etc.—all the way up to his elbows. It was a wonder his arms could bend at all.

Another boy sat with an elbow on the edge of the wagon gate, a very bored expression on a tanned face. He wore a black and white hat backwards—which held down a mess of black hair streaked with silver—a black shirt under a dark blue jacket, and grey jeans over white sneakers. A silver pendant in the shape of a pokeball peaked over a blue, white, and black backpack held in his lap, and one hand—both covered in fingerless black gloves—played absentmindedly with a strap. It was a wonder he and the other boy didn't die of heat stroke, what with all the black… But otherwise, 'punk' would be the accurate, shorter description. Likewise, a Pikachu that sat on the edge of the wagon gate, copying its trainer, had the same aura, complete with a mussed up scruff and brooding attitude.

There was an artist—obviously, since he was sketching on a notebook—with grey hair that was actually more along the lines of silver, although it was natural if you could believe it. Considering the other two, this boy was regularly dressed in a white sweater—scratch the normal; it's hot outside!—that had blue sleeves with zippers at the shoulder and black jeans with white sneakers. Emerald eyes concentrated hard on his sketching, oblivious to anything else, or otherwise uninterested in the others.

There was a boy who looked very much like a doctor—and as nervous as Aubrey—in the middle of the rest of them, complete with a lab coat and glasses. Naturally rumpled brown hair stuck up with small cowlicks, and a Chikorita rested peacefully in his lap, eyes opening every so often, as if standing a poor guard.

Sitting with his fingers twiddling together sat a boy who we should know by Alex's reference. Mark Pearl had wheat-yellow hair that was naturally fluffed…always…so that no matter what he did, it would never behave. He wore an orange and white striped t-shirt with baggy jeans and a green scarf around his neck. His blue eyes shifted left to right, uncomfortable with how silent it was and bored out of his mind. Something for future reference; Mark has trouble sitting still for long periods of time.

And last but not least was the boy who Rai had seen with the sunglasses and tan skin. True, he definitely had the persona and build of a surfer, and yet he didn't seem as chill as the stereotypes. He wore a bright red shirt with a black S on the front and black jeans with sneakers using both colors. Caramel colored eyes stared blankly at the top of the covered wagon, perhaps counting out the threads of the canvass.

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><p>Meanwhile, in the Supply Cart being driven by the other boy...<p>

A barrel rattled and tipped a little as the wagon drove over the road, a distinctive "Ouch!" being emitted before the owner of the voice covered their mouth. The driver turned his head back, but, hearing nothing more, shrugged his shoulders and chalked it all up to fatigue.

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><p>If I had said that any of them were normal or sane—including the girls—discredit it now. Only one thing can be said for sure: Outer appearances mean nothing, and all of these students carry a burden that can't be seen from the outside, and they are about to carry more than they ever dreamt of.<p>

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><p><strong>Please R&amp;R: I need feedback to feed my muse! D:<strong>


	4. Why She's Called Lighting: Part 1

**Sorry for the delay :S I'm actually gonna try and get the third chapter up right after this one, so everyone please R&R as per usual; it fuels my muse and makes me feel like it's accomplishing more than my personal fantasies :P The chapters will come faster once I'm more acquainted with the characters and feel more comfortable typing up their appearances/actions.**

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><p>Rai knew that they were almost there when the hills came into view. Accumula Town was known for its scenic hills and quiet atmosphere, but honestly…she didn't quite know how things were going to work. She shifted her gaze to Maria, who, despite wearing a skirt and driving for almost half a day on top of a wagon, had retained a lady-like posture, including perfectly crossed legs, with feet that had heels—heels!—on them.<p>

"Ms. Rochenko?" she called.

"Maria, please," she called back amiably.

"Yes, ah… How exactly does this all work?"

"Your brother didn't tell you?" she asked, sounding genuinely perplexed.

"He doesn't speak much," Rai said, although she had a feeling Maria already knew. In confirmation, Maria nodded her head.

"Mr. Hemmington will explain in full detail once we arrive in Accumula Town. Rest assured, this isn't a kidnapping," she joked. Boy, Rai sure hoped it wasn't kidnapping… It'd be one awkward operation to say the least. Not to say she had completely disliked the company in the cart. Sure, one girl chose to remain completely silent, one chimed in with admittedly rude remarks, another seemed too shy to speak, but the other two made up for all of it. Rai and Alex were already steadfast friends on day one—it was one of those instinctual things that can't be explained other than two personalities naturally clicking—and Rosalie remained a bit of a mystery to Rai. She was certainly friendly enough, but Rai had a rough time deciphering whether she could live with her overly-peppy attitude.

"Will you shut up?" exclaimed Alaina as Rosalie was jabbering about her Frosslass, promptly kicking her in the backside so that the blonde-haired girl landed sideways. Rai almost spoke up about how that had gone too far—as had most of her other comments, but none so close as the physical assault—but before she could, Rosalie had a pokeball out.

"Frost, Ice Beam!" she ordered as the Frosslass in question popped out. Everyone, including Setsuna, was surprised and backed themselves against the walls of the cart as an Ice Beam shot from the pokemon, freezing Alaina in a block of chilled snow. Everyone sweat-dropped, but were probably more incredulous that as this all went on, Maria only sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Day…one," she said.

Rai had decided; she liked Rosalie.

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><p>The group continued travel through the streets of the town, although many had opted to walk with the carts from there due to cramped legs and space. Getting off was probably more of the problem than anything, since you had to kind of jump down and not fall flat on your face. Alex followed Rai out as she departed, Oberon making it seem like easy work. Noticing something, Alex looked closer at the shoulder of Rai's t-shirt, which had scrunched up and revealed a part of her shoulder as a result of her minor struggle getting out of the cart.<p>

"Rai, what's that?" she asked. Following Alex's gaze, Rai quickly smoothed down the short sleeve, swearing to Alex that it was nothing. Alex looked like she wanted to pursue the issue—concern on her face—but Rai was saved by the sound of someone else calling Alex's name.

"Mark!" she called back, waving, previous topic forgotten for the moment. Jogging to catch up, the blonde-haired boy smiled and greeted them both, blue eyes wide with excitement. Mark was a good four inches taller than Rai, but only two taller than Alex. He bent his head sideways to look at Rai, who actually felt a little uncomfortable being stared at so.

"Uh…hi?" she tried, waving a bit, her eyes looking to the side and to Mark in quick intervals. A silent moment passed before Mark started to laugh, head thrown back, so that he momentarily reminded Rai of Mr. H.

"Why so nervous?" he asked, coming to. The heat rose in Rai's cheeks and she gave off a sort of pout, looking at the older boy from underneath her eyelashes.

"I'm not nervous!"

"Sure, sure," he said. "The name's Markus Pearl, but everyone just calls me Mark. I'm a third year, you?"

"Rai Saotoshi, first year."

"Woah; Saotoshi? As in the—"

"We've already established this, Mark," Alex came in.

"Really? Where?"

"In the cart."

"Well, pardon me for not having super-hearing or anything." Everything they said was affable and easygoing, Rai envied them. Growing up in Nuvema Town was a little hard, especially with her brother being the Professor. It was already a small town, but add to it her duties at the Lab and the fact that her brother scared off more than one individual…friends had been hard to come by. She didn't let this show, though, as the two continued on in their teasing. Oberon trotted easily next to the trio, looking about with mild interest. Mark and Alex eventually brought Rai into the fray, although she was much more open to dive in, knowing Mark's disposition better. Where Alex was calm and gentle, Mark was rambunctious and passionate. Of course, this was all mostly on first impressions.

"Alex's told me that you both have already become full-fledged trainers," Rai chimed in, playing with the end of her straight brown hair that swung at her hips. "Are you both going to continue studying in the same area?"

"We actually want to become Rangers," Mark said immediately, a fire lighting in his eyes.

"It's true. But it turns out that becoming one has more requirements than most," Alex said. "There's a testing facility on Victory Mountain in this region, up where the Pokemon League is, but not only do you have to have certain qualities, you need to pass a series of tests and have all of the badges of the region that you're stationed in."

"I get it," Rai responded. "So the school offered the best way for you two to achieve those requirements. But you're both not originally from here, are you?"

"No, we're from the Sinnoh region. We both already have the badges, but the facilities are only in Unova, Almia, and Oblivia. The tests happen to be a secret until they're given, so Mark and I wanted to get ahead and study some more in the school, too."

"Wow," Rai said, genuinely impressed.

"And what about you, Rai?" Mark asked, hands clasped behind his head.

"Me? I want to go all the way to the top!" she said, making both hands into fists and making the 'pumped' gesture. "I want to become the next Pokemon League Champion!"

"That's a big dream," said a new voice. Looking over their shoulders, it was the boy with the hundreds of bracelets, both hands in his pocket, and a wry grin on his face. "Hiro Taminama, at your service, m'lady," Hiro said with a mock bow from the waist, amazingly keeping it in perfect form while still walking, "third year."

"Hello…?" Rai said with a bit of an uncomfortable question at the end. The trio then became acquainted with Hiro, names and all, although Rai was not 100% on the way he seemed to get close to both her and Alex so easily. Mark had to surreptitiously place himself between Alex and Hiro to stop the advances, but Rai? She had to fend for herself. A Jolteon came walking up with Hiro, and Rai shied away from it without notice…or so she thought. Alex quirked an eyebrow at her in question, but Rai was too busy being pestered by Hiro to really notice it. Oberon and Hiro's Jolteon got to know each other, although Oberon seemed just as uneasy with the Jolteon's attitude as Rai was with Hiro's.

"So, what's prompted the dream?"

"I love battling," Rai said simply. "I love to see my pokemon try hard, and I love to do it with them. I love…the feeling," she said, without a much better word to describe it, because really, she couldn't elaborate on a feeling that just so powerfully was.

"Weak," commented another voice from behind them. The voice's owner this time was the black haired boy with silver streaks, his Pikachu riding confidently atop his trainer's shoulders. Rai placed herself a little more in front of Alex and Mark, then, growing steadily more and more anxious. But instead of showing more weakness or caring if her odd movements were noticed, she glared at the boy who had spoken.

"And I guess you'd be the expert on it?" she remarked, hurt by his comment. The boy glared right back, as well as the Pikachu. The boy's fingerless gloved hands came out of the baggy blue jacket, but otherwise he didn't respond, not breaking the eye contact until Rai did. If she thought she couldn't deal with Alaina's remarks, this guy took the cake. They were soon in front of a Pokemon Center, the sun fairly low in the sky, making it mid-afternoon. Everyone debarked from the wagons and formed a circle around Mr. H and Maria, quickly called to silence by Mr. H's voice.

"Welcome, everyone, to Accumula Town!" he said with fervor, as if there was more to the town than just scenic hills and serene quiet. "Please give us a few minutes of your time so that we can go over the curriculum. During your stay here, I will be the third year academics teacher and gym teacher. Maria will be the first and second year academics teacher. Classes will switch off in this order: First year academics and second year gym in the morning, first year gym and second year academics in the afternoon. Then the cycle goes to third year academics and third year gym the next day for the whole day. This way, each year receives a full day of rest in-between, although you may attend as many gym classes as you wish!" he said with a booming laugh before collecting himself, even though the smile remained. "Now, as to our travel itinerary. We will be spending nine months together travelling the Unova region, all the way from Nuvema Town to Victory Mountain and back to Mistralton City to prepare for next year's journey. All of those who will be returning home for the three months until the next term will go back via the Mistralton Airlines and come back the same way, or be picked up in Nuvema Town the next year." Which Rai knew already. She had seen, all the years before, the school coming through Nuvema Town in its own miniature parade, but had always stayed up in the Lab or out in the nursery fields with the younger pokemon. Explained in detail now, it made much more sense as to how everyone had already been with the wagons before arriving in Nuvema.

"We will be spending a maximum of two weeks in certain cities, although some will be less because of other travel points and travel time besides. With any extra time we may come by, we will spend in Undella Town's resort until the Unova League Conference," Maria said, much to the approval and many faces of excitement of the students present. "For now, we will only be staying a week here, just to have those who will be taking on the gyms prepared. The rest of the day is a free day, so everyone may stay within the town limits and may do as they please. Curfew is ten pm at the Pokemon Center, as stated."

"Maria? The budget?" Mr. H prompted.

"Oh, yes… Some of you may or may not know, but the school has a set student budget that each student is granted for miscellaneous things. Your parents or guardians may have submitted a cash amount or number to be withdrawn from, but otherwise all other cash you spend is your own. You will be gifted an allowance for each exam you do well on, but most things are school-run and pre-paid for by the Unova Pokemon League." So saying, Maria began to hand out little purses with the school's information printed on the front to each student. Everyone looked to the teachers after that, but it seemed as if that were all, so they all parted their separate ways.

"Hold on guys; I forgot about the eggs," Rai said, making the apology gesture before jogging back to the Girls' Cart. Maria was there, and after asking, she told Rai that the safest place for them for the moment was with Joe. "Joe?"

"He's driving the Supply Cart. He's probably unloading now; go say hi," Maria said with a smile. A tad suspicious about leaving the three eggs with someone she had never met before, Rai decided to trust Maria and do so anyway; distrust would get her nowhere but stressed and worried. Reaching in and grabbing the basket, Rai made her way to the Supply Cart and knocked on the wood of it.

"Hello?" she called while rounding the corner. At that exact same moment a boy jumped out, nearly landing on Rai and the eggs. It was the boy with the grey hat and sunglasses. He was tall—not as tall as the rude boy or Mr. H, but certainly taller than Rai—and when he saw her he smiled.

"Yo," he said simply, waving as if he had not almost crushed a girl. "You must be one of the new students. Name's Joe. What can I do ya for?" He would've looked very much like a beach person if his skin were not so pale, but his immediate personality told Rai that he was relaxed in every way possible.

"Um… Maria said I could leave these with you…?" The end was more like a question because her skepticism had just jumped tenfold.

"Of course, 'course," he said, taking the offered eggs and handling them under one arm. "I'll make sure the tykes are kept safe," Joe said with an easygoing smile. Rai would've pressed the issue if Mark didn't start calling her name again, so she took a last look at the eggs, prayed that Joe would do as he said, and jogged back to her group. 'Maria said it was fine, Maria said it was fine,' she repeated as a mantra in her head.

* * *

><p>In the Supply Cart, Joe set the basket of eggs down carefully on a barrel as he went about moving different things, adding up the quotas and stock, as it was. While moving a particularly heavy barrel—which he found unusual since it was supposed to be holding oran berries—the form inside had to cover its mouth from making any sort of noise. Being put back down, the person was safe…for the time being.<p>

* * *

><p>After making sure that the eggs were secured with Maria—who vowed to make sure they were safe in the Center—Rai, Mark, Alex, and Hiro—who tagged along by his own mechanism—went to get some sandwiches and drinks at an open vendor before making their way to a hill where an apartment complex sat. They leaned against the stone walls comfortably—Rai situating herself on the opposite end of where Hiro's Jolteon was—and looked out over what portion of the town they could see. But of course, just sitting and watching was something that Mark couldn't do.<p>

"Let's have a battle!" he cried out, standing up with a fiery gesture. Alex gave him a disapproving look—as if he always had to do something and could never sit still, as Rai had thought—but she sighed and smiled anyway, giving in.

"Let's!" exclaimed Rosalie as her head popped around the side of the building, scaring everyone from the sheer randomness of the event. "Between who?" she continued, unaware of just how…well, surprising she had been. Her blonde hair bounced as she did, arms clasped behind her back as she tipped forwards and backwards in her converse sneakers. Alaina came around the corner of the building just then as well, licking an ice-cream cone while finding a place to lean against the building, the Vulpix following closely. 'Those two may fight a lot,' Rai thought concerning Rosalie and Alaina, 'but they certainly stick together…'

"I want to see just how far Rai can get in her dream," Hiro said from his position on the ground, black fohawk slightly scrunched against the brick building. Rai looked to Oberon, asking a silent question that the Umbreon seemed to answer with a shrug.

"You're so committal," she said to him, laced with friendly sarcasm, as she brushed her cargo pants off and went to stand off on one side of the hill, marking out the perimeter for the slanted and impromptu battlefield. Oberon followed her with, admittedly, more enthusiasm than he had given in the answer. "Who am I going up against?"

"That would be me, of course!" Mark said, feigning a hurt expression as he fiddled with a pokeball at his side. His self-nomination got a look from Alaina, who had almost stepped up the plate, but leant back again as she looked at her ice-cream. Just as quickly as Mark's expression had changed before, it changed again, turning to one of determination. "Let's go, Leaf!" he cried as the pokeball went soaring, releasing a Leafeon to stand on what would be the field. With a gentle thump it landed gracefully, and with…sparkle?

"No way!" Rai cried out, impressed and a tad envious. Leaf, as her name was, was a shiny Leafeon; her pelt seemed to shimmer in the sunlight as she moved, and the green on her was far brighter than a normal Leafeon's. Although Rai couldn't hear it, Alex gently told Mark to go easy on her as the taller girl went to stand as a judge between the two.

"I will, I will," he said, jokingly brushing off Alex's comments. "Alright, Rai; are you ready?"

"Ready! Oberon, hit it!" The Umbreon took the field—two Eevee-lutions standing off—as Alex raised her hands, building up the moment.

"Mark Pearl versus Rai Saotoshi. Ready? …Begin!" she called, signaling her hands downwards.

"Use Leaf Storm!" Mark immediately called, cutting straight to the chase. Rai neither knew how strong Leaf was or how experienced, but she knew the damage of a Leaf Storm.

"Oberon, dodge it and use Quick Attack in succession!" she called. Just as Leaf was preparing to loose her attack—the grass around her bending as if there was a breeze emanating from her body—Oberon crouched his body slowly and low to the ground, pushing off with a single paw…and then disappearing.

"What?" asked Mark as Oberon sped across the battlefield, barely a blur, as Leaf's attack came in a bombardment. Sharp leaves honed to razor edges cut the air in front of it, and Rai could see that, despite Oberon's speed, some leaves still found their purchase. But he continued on, fast as the wind, straight to Leaf to knock her over.

"Awesome! Where did an Umbreon learn that sort of speed?" cried Rosalie, jumping up and down as she watched. In a rapid movement Oberon pushed off the ground and body-tackled Leaf again and again, using his momentum and speed to knock her into the air before he finally slowed down long enough to retreat, awaiting the next command. Alaina had looked up from her ice cream cone and was watching intently now, interested.

"Umbreon are normally defense oriented pokemon," said a voice as if from nowhere, "and not normally speed-proficient. This one seems to have unnaturally balanced stats." Right next to Hiro, sitting with her laptop and typing away furiously, Setsuna still had that bored look on her face, which contradicted just how intensely she was entering in data. No longer were her ear-buds in, but instead she had brushed her chin-length hair behind her ears so it wouldn't get in the way of her observation.

"When'd you get here?" asked Hiro, startled out of his charming speech by the sudden appearance.

"A few seconds ago," was all he got from the normally silent girl before the battle took an odd turn.

"Impressive speed, Rai. But let's see if you can handle this: Leaf, heal using Synthesis." Immediately Leaf began to absorb the sunlight, some of it entering her body in visible orbs. Soon, if Rai let it go on, Leaf would heal, and the battle would certainly turn for the worse. Looking at Oberon, the damage from the Leaf Storm was quite apparent; Leaf was of a very high level, and if Oberon had not been geared towards speed, he would've likely been called out immediately from a direct hit. As it was, he was already quivering on one leg from a particularly bad gash.

"Hit Leaf with a Shadow Ball before it can fully heal," Rai ordered. The same as Leaf was gathering bits of lights, darkness and shadow fleeted to Oberon, whose mouth was open as the orb began to form. A little less consuming in terms of time, the Shadow Ball was soon ready; however, Rai and Oberon were not.

"Solar Beam!" Mark cried.

"What?" half of the group exclaimed. But Rai and Setsuna knew; Mark had decided that, instead of using the sun's energy to heal Leaf, it would be converted into a Solar Beam attack. At the same moment that Oberon's Shadow Ball sped towards Leaf, the energy attack swept towards him in a vector of light, punching right through the Shadow Ball and hitting Oberon full on, both trainer and pokemon too startled to dodge. The grass parted below where the Solar Beam travelled, and as the beam continued it created quite the ruckus when it parted—or partially destroyed—some trees adjacent to the hill. When the dust cleared, the verdict was clear.

"Oberon is unable to battle; Mark wins!" Alex cried, even as Rai rushed to Oberon. He was fine alright—pokemon were made for intense battle—but she still comforted him.

"That was a great battle, Oberon. C'mon, let's get you back up the hill to rest up," Rai said, patting him gently on the head. Tough as ever, Oberon complied, limping a little on one leg. Rai was not too worried about it, though. With a Super Potion and some rest he'd be fine. Mark came up to meet them, his Leafeon at his side.

"Is he okay?" Mark asked, genuine concern in his voice. Rai nodded and smiled, backed up by Oberon's bark of confirmation. "I'm glad. That was an awesome battle! Your Umbreon's fast as lightning!" Mark went on and on about their relatively short battle, making Rai laugh with how his enthusiasm abounded. They returned to the group where a few other students—plus a few people, for that matter—had gathered to see what all the noise was about. Among them, including Setsuna's late arrival, was the boy in the white sweater, the boy in the lab coat, and the boy with the Pikachu. It was he that stepped forward, an intense stare on his face. Without really saying anything, he and Rai locked eyes, a mutual understanding of dislike sparking between them. Moving to where Mark had been standing for the battle, he nonchalantly stood and looked at Rai, as if she were stupid for not immediately understanding his purpose. The mood hung thick in the air, but Rai couldn't really battle the guy until Oberon was healed; he was her only pokemon.

"I got it," came a timid voice. It was the boy in the lab coat, coming forward with a satchel at the ready. While digging around in it, Rai noticed how he pushed his glasses from falling off his nose back up, how his messy brown hair fell in his eyes. She also noticed how Setsuna looked at him. It was not a look filled with love or anything, but merely a look of recognition, as if she had the right because they were familiar. "Reiji Asakura," he introduced as he knelt beside Oberon and began to spritz the black fur with a Super Potion.

"Rai Saotoshi," she said back. "Thank you very much, I promise I'll pay for tha—"

"No need," he waved off, returning a smile. Rai could tell that he was not the most confident one in the bunch just based on how he carried himself and talked, but she liked him already for the sheer fact that he had helped her pokemon of his own free will. How many people did you find like that those days?

A clearing of the throat was heard, and Rai was reminded of where she was supposed to be. Looking down at Oberon, he gave her a nod of 'ready' and began to walk with her back to their place, her knees shaking a little. Getting beaten by Mark was certainly humbling, but she would not allow herself to be beaten by this guy. It was more of a personal vendetta than anything; the boy had mocked her and was now clearly stating a challenge. Clearly. But what no one knew was the true reason why her nerves were on edge; the true reason that her mouth got cottony and dry. Alex looked a bit apprehensive at the looks of the battle—perhaps not half as apprehensive as Rai, but still—but she stepped back up to her spot.

"Rai Saotoshi versus…um…?" Alex looked quizzically to the boy.

"Ken Strife," he said in a gruff voice, obviously impatient to get the battle going.

"Ken Strife," Alex amended. "Ready? Begin!"

"Oberon, get running!" Rai shouted from the get-go, the words almost catching in her throat, her tongue was so dry.

"Pikachu, Thunder Wave," Ken simply said, his eyes barely visible behind loose black-and-silver-streaked bangs that had fallen from underneath the lid of his backwards cap. Rai's heart nearly stopped with the reality of the situation playing out before her; Ken's Pikachu quickly let a visible wave of electricity emanate from his body in a dome—escape was impossible. Mid-stride Oberon fell, his legs locking up and static dancing about his body. "Thundershock," Ken continued.

Rai's heart stopped for a moment against her will; memories flooded to her mind. Oberon, struggling on the field, ached and strained to move against the paralysis, but he knew exactly what was going on in his trainer's mind and struggled all the harder. Rai's brown eyes had gone wide—green crescents all but blurred into the brown in her fear—and her body had gone as stiff as Oberon's. The electricity that snaked about the Pikachu's body was not half as fast as Rai's heart, and immediately she knew it was a mistake to try and battle an electric pokemon just yet; she couldn't handle it.

Just as Pikachu cried out and sent the Thundershock for its target, Rai had dashed and tackled Oberon, rolling with him clutched in her arms down the hill. The electricity had skimmed the both of them, and they both laid at the bottom of the hill, still. All eyes had gone wide; Alex, Rosalie, and Reiji running to the bottom of the hill, calling Rai's name. Ken stood there with an incredulous look, as if he couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Rai!" Alex said with worry, reaching her first and shaking her shoulder. Residual electricity still sparked along Rai's arms, but she was more worried that Rai's arms and body were shaking. "Rai? Are you alright?" She shifted Rai some more and found instead of her going into shock…she was crying. Part of her white t-shirt had ridden up in the back, and although Alex was not focused on it, she noticed deep, angry-red marks that seemed as if they had been there a long time spider-webbed across Rai's pale skin.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry," she was sobbing into Oberon's body, disjointed to the world around her. Reiji knelt beside her as well and checked her pulse.

"It's fast, but not irregular," he sighed with relief. By then the rest of the group had come down, as well as some well-to-do citizens. Mark assured them that Rai was fine, even as she continued to tremble.

* * *

><p>Back at the Pokemon Center, it would be a wonder if anyone hadn't heard of the battle between Rai and Ken. Rai had gone to sleep in her room with Alex—after much explaining done by the older girl to the teachers and much reassuring—and Oberon had not left her side at all. The other girls had clamoured to see if she was alright, but Alex had politely refused them, saying to ask in the morning if Rai felt any better. Ken had withdrawn into his half of the shared room with the white sweater boy—let's just start calling him Matt, since these guys don't interact enough to learn names that quickly—and put on some loud music to drown out everything else. Matt, on the other hand, was a bit frustrated by the music as he tried to draw. The occurrence earlier had certainly been interesting and terrifying all at once, but it had fueled his artist's soul to draw. Five pages were already full of sketches, the one he was currently working on being of a scene he had caught before the end of Mark and Rai's battle; Oberon's Shadow Ball and Leaf's Solar Beam meeting head on. Coloring it would certainly prove a challenge, but it wasn't as if Matt really colored many of his drawings anyway; sometimes they were better off as they were. It was already getting late, and Matt's eyes hurt in the dim lighting provided by the lamps in the Pokemon Center's boarding rooms. He placed his sketchpad aside and switched his light off, turning into his pillow so that his dark silver hair splayed about his head. Green eyes turned to slits as he went to sleep, dreaming, and wondering just why Rai had tried to save her pokemon from a normal battle. Kindness? Fear? Or was there more?<p>

* * *

><p><strong>I know it's a tad shorter than I wanted, but a more detailed explanation will be submitted into the next chapter. I hope you all enjoyed, please R&amp;R. … Actually, I want a specific opinion on something: abrupt endings. Love em or hate them? It'll help me decide whether or not I should end more chapters like this or not.<strong>


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